Fall to Pieces
by XxXChainsXxX
Summary: DISCONTINUED When you can't find the right piece to the puzzle called life, all you can do is wait for the person with the missing piece. [RikuSora, AxelRoxas]
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.**

**.:C h a p t e r I:.**

Pity could be annoying.

Sympathy really was never the same as pity, but closer to a feeling like: "I'm glad I don't walk in your shoes." Because, metaphorically, those shoes were covered in shit.

No matter what, no one ever _really_ felt sorry for you. Pity was just a façade to hide how others would look at you, grinning at you as you struggled, feeding off your misery and sadness like demons.

Yep… Subconsciously, everyone's a sadist.

_EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK!_

Alarm clocks, too…

_EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK!_

Hmm… maybe if I stay in bed enough, I'll fall back asleep and think it's some fucked-up techno music.

_EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK! EEeeEEK!_

…Maybe not.

Reaching out, my hands fumbled with the buttons on the top of the alarm, searching for the SNOOZE button. After fumbling around a bit, I hit the FM button instead.

"_Gooood mooorning! You're listening to 84.5 _"The Edge" _That was _Avenged Sevenfold_ with their new album coming out in-"_

Ehhh… it was better than that damn screeching…

I rode in and out of consciousness, listening to some guy named 'Chuck' reading off the weather report and traffic jams somewhere on the main island before switching to another song.

Just as I thought I could finally fall asleep, the sound of Evanescence crooning in my left eardrum, the door was suddenly thrown open and a sudden cry pierced the room.

"Surrender, silver-haired sex pistol!" Oh yeah… it was Saturday… Selphie woke up early on Saturdays…

Anyway, with her brilliant exclamation, she ran toward my bed before leaping into the air and landing on my bed.

On top of me.

I grunted as Selphie's heel dug into my pelvis. Vaguely, I was grateful it was my pelvis and not my groin. Last Saturday had _not_ been a pleasant one…

"Come _on_, Riku-u... wake _up_…" I could almost hear the pout in her voice.

"Selphie…" I half-yawned as I rolled over to face her. "It's the weekend… lemme sleep…" With that, I tugged the comforter back on, sending her crashing to the floor.

"But you promised to take me to the mall today!" Me? Agree to take _Selphie_ shopping?

I hid beneath my pillow. "What did you drug me with when I agreed to this…"

"Nothing you didn't willingly take." She sang.

0-0-0-0-0

Still half awake as I pulled on my jeans, I looked over my shoulder at the clock. It glared at me and read '_10:23_' in bright red letters. She got me up at ten --in the morning, mind you-- to go _shopping_? This was way to early… I wasn't supposed to acknowledge the world's existence until two p.m. on weekends.

I moved down the stairs sluggishly while I used my fingers as a make-shift comb. (My brain still didn't seem to grasp the thought that I was going _shopping_ at a mall on the _other side_ of the island. Just so Selphie could try on more clothes than she would ever actually buy.) Selphie was nowhere in sight, probably trying to scrounge up what money her parents had sent her this month, so I popped a piece of bread into the toaster and waited for breakfast.

She had been staying with me and my brother for about half a year now. Having told her parents that she liked girls had apparently dealt a major blow to them and their confidence as parents. To help "resolve" the problem, they had sent her to live with their farthest relatives, Seph and me. They had probably thought sticking her with guys would shake the thought of liking girls from her mind.

What they hadn't counted on (or knew, for that matter) is the fact that all two of us are gay. Well… okay, I'm bi, and the sole reliance for our parents that they will have grandkids, but I still enjoy my share of guys. The point is, is that we were all now just some messed up family… Yippy-skippy…

I opened the cupboard and grabbed the peanut butter from the shelf, scowling to find that Seph had bought creamy again… The bastard just _had_ to have smooth peanut butter… I had told him to buy a jar of the other kind, but he had refused. Saying something about saving money… phft… Saving money… We could probably save a lot more money if he would quit using so many bottles of shampoo on that hair of his…

"C'mon, Riku!" I turned to look at Selphie as she bounded into the kitchen, reaching forward to grab me by the arm. "Eat your freakin' toast _later_!" She tried to pull me from my spot leaning on the counter, with no avail. I'll admit I was stronger than her, but the brunette was just too damn skinny to move someone who was at least a head taller and weighed about a good couple pounds more.

Giving a dramatic show of rolling my eyes, I folded the toast in half and stuffed it into my mouth, chewing as Selphie led me out of the house.

0-0-0-0-0

He hated crowds. He hated being surrounded by so many people that he didn't know. People who would scrutinize him and stare.

Well, okay… He pretty much hated people in general.

Axel shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, glaring down at the marble floor. 'He must like crowds… Probably knows I'm here and he's just doing this to piss me off…' He growled --his expression souring and causing a mother to herd her children in another direction-- thinking of reasons why he would strangle the other when he found him.

And he was close. That is what really frustrated him. He was somewhere in this building, he could feel it, but, for some reason, he just couldn't find the spiky-haired twerp.

"Hey, Axel."

The addressed spun on his heel, green eyes narrowed and glaring at the grinning blue. 'Couple hundred years of living and he thinks he's hot shit…'

The owner of the blue eyes was leaning against the railing of the second story mall, absently licking at an ice cream cone while watching him. A hundred years and the boy hadn't aged a day over seventeen… though his wardrobe certainly had changed. He had abandoned his old clothing and opted now for wearing a black and red tee-shirt jersey with blue jeans hanging off his slim hips.

Axel raised an eyebrow. A smirk stretched his thin lips. "Had a feeling you weren't dead."

"Heh… And here I thought _you_ were gone for good." Sora smiled, using his free hand to comb through his cinnamon spikes.

"An' what about Roxas?"

The Keyblade master seemed to falter, smile still maintained, but his hand had frozen, refusing to return to his side. After a while, he let it drop to his side, fingers patting blue denim jeans.

"Wanna head to the café? They've got some good coffee 'round here."

Axel watched Sora for a minute, before he nodded, "Sure."

0-0-0-0-0

Ten minutes later, after placing their orders --straight black coffee for Axel and an iced latte for Sora-- and seating themselves near the back of the shop, Sora let out a long tired sigh. It seemed to be such a deep sigh that Axel thought the kid looked like those years had suddenly caught up to him, making him seem so much older than he looked.

"I've been jumping around a lot." The brunet started, giving his drink a shake so the ice would allow the straw to reach the bottom. "I haven't been to Destiny Island in _years_."

Axel took a gulp of his coffee, barely noticing the scalding heat as it burned down his throat. "Then where've you been, shrimp? You're certainly not the easiest person to track down." The other set his coffee down, watching the steam rise from it.

Sora laughed, "I've been staying with the King. He told me each world tilts on a different axis, so time goes faster or slower --depending on the world-- the King's just so happens to go slower than other worlds." Sora set down his drink on a napkin and began tracing the moisture on the outside of the thin plastic.

Now that Axel thought about it, it was true. He himself had been hoping around so much that he was probably just as old as Sora --give or take a few years.

"Anyway, I thought I'd wait it out."

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the teen across from him, "It?"

"Riku, Kairi and Naminé… everyone's gone. Even Roxas."

"What!" Coffee was thrown into Axel's lap as he tried to stand up, knocking his drink off the table. The redhead quickly grabbed some napkins from the dispenser, fumbling with a few of them, and began dabbing at his coat. He wasn't dissuaded; however, "Why's Roxas gone?"

"I dunno… It felt like he just wasn't there anymore. "

"What, did blondie refuse to pay rent?" Axel joked; but mentally, he was reeling. "You… you can't just get rid of your other half like that. It… it just doesn't work that way."

"But… I don't think he's my other half anymore, Axel." Sora looked up into Axel's eyes, "I think he's his own person now…"

0-0-0-0-0

The mall was conveniently built near the boardwalk, so no matter what day in the week you came, it was always busy. Hustling and bustling with islanders in groups or couples and tourists in their underdressed or overdressed manners, it didn't matter what time you showed up.

With those two and the beach being built so closely, the city had obviously thought that one parking lot would be enough for the crowds.

"Ohh! There's a spot! There's a- noo!"

I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white as Selphie pointed out another spot, which, of course, was taken seconds later. "That meanie! He's as red as a lobster anyway! He doesn't need to go to the beach!" Selphie began to rant on about an overweight tourist as he pulled out a beach blanket and a cooler from his trunk and waddled toward the beach.

Of course, Selphie had been sure that we could make it and 'beat the crowd'. Oh fucking _yeah right_…

My patience having run out about twenty-five tries and seventeen minutes ago, I abruptly turned the wheel sharply and sped toward the shop on the corner. I turned the key and killed the engine as I came to a stop behind the small beach shop. Hopefully the old man wouldn't kill me for parking back here.

Hopefully.

Selphie seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Cid's gonna kill you for parking here." She deadpanned.

"Like I care…" The old coot is so protective of his parking spot; Cid would probably give his own shop up just to keep the parking space behind it.

'_If you start parkin' there the whole fuckin' island's gonna think they can park for free behind my damn shop! Then what am I gonna do when those fuckin' skateboarders think it's a free loitering zone!' _

Sure he was my boss, but he was also Selphie's uncle. From how I look at it, it's a family matter, so he couldn't throw too much of a fit over it. And it got me a free parking spot when Cid was in a good mood.

"Better check in with the old fart, anyway." I snorted, pulling the keys out of the ignition and making my way out of the car. Selphie followed.

The cowbell above the door gave a worn clang as we entered, the AC hitting us in a blast of cold air.

Nobody was in the shop except a blond, who was behind the counter, feet propped up on the conveyer belt, the latest issue of some magazine sitting in his lap.

"Welcome," Roxas began flatly, not even bothering to look up from his magazine. "If there's anything you need help with, please, don't hesitate to ask." He let out a long sigh and turned the page, head leaning on his other hand.

"Your charismatic skills suck, you know."

"Really? And here I thought I was the reason people came to this shithole."

I grinned and fingered a bag of Skittles on the shelf of candy next to him. "You know the only reason customers come in here is because of me."

He rolled his blue eyes. "I'm so glad you're not conceited."

"…"

"…"

"Ignore me any longer and I shove this bag of Skittles so far up your ass you'll be shitting rainbows for a week."

"Annoy me any longer and I'll call a lawsuit on your ass." He shot back.

O-kay… He was starting to piss me off. Trying a different approach: "Have you seen Cid? I need to ask him something."

Roxas obviously wasn't going to let up. "You parked in the back again, didn't you?" Was it that obvious that even blondie here could pick up on it?

"At least I _can_ park in the back, Mr. Got-his-license-temporarily-banned."

There was a pause and I could hear that even Selphie had stopped whatever she had been doing.

Selphie's short giggle broke the silence, "Your comebacks suck, Riku." I could feel them both grinning at me. Roxas was smirking, though. Smug little blond bastard…

I threw the bag of Skittles I had been messing with over my shoulder; smiling as I heard it hit Selphie and hearing her exclaim: "Hey! I don't wanna taste the rainbow!"

"So where is he?"

"In the back." The blond sighed out, returning to read his magazine.

"Thanks…" I said turning toward the back of the small convenience store. With a second thought, I turned around and grabbed the magazine from Roxas, looking at the cover. "Tsk, tsk; Roxas. Reading _J-14_ these days, huh? Read it for the horoscopes?"

"Fuck you."

0-0-0-0-0

"So… you're sure they're both here?"

"Positive." Sora paused. "Probably Kairi and Naminé, too." Blue eyes scanned the crowd below the second level balcony, watching as people moved about the mall, carting shopping bags and scurrying from store to store. "The King said that there have been some odd readings coming from here… Like it's not just Roxas and Riku…" The brunet watched a man standing at a booth began to play with some sort of gliding toy, letting it fly above the heads of a group of children who had stopped to watch.

Axel placed his hands on his hips, popping the joints in his back as he arched his back. "Then we're not alone, huh?"

"Nope." Sora moved away from the railing, looking at Axel with a smirk on his face. "What? Don't think you can't handle it?"

Axel snorted.

"I can handle anything. _Got it memorized_?"

**.:E n d C h a p t e r:.**

**Author Ramblings:**

Well, a little Axel/Sora bonding there… Those two seem like they'd sorta get along. Maybe the occasional insult or teasing, but that's it.

Is it just me or does anyone else really look at the relationship between Riku and Roxas. I mean, in the game, Riku helps Roxas destroy the Heartless… but they end up fighting --with Roxas _almost_ beating Riku… to me that really would spike a bit of an edge to any relationship they would have…

That pointless little ramble aside, what do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Have the strangest urge to kick a puppy? Erm… I mean, press the review button?

Sora: You're sick…

You're stating the obvious, love.


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: If these characters belonged to me, Roxas and Sora would be chained to my wall… Naked... -checks wall- Nope, don't see 'em...**

I have to thank **Kayu Silver**for her wonderful review! Made me smile like a fat kid with cake. Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! Mm… reviewy goodness…

Now, I'm aware that quite a few of you guys are lost. Well, I _want_ to begin the story this way. Things will become clearer as it moves on, but there may be **spoilers** in this.

I don't want you guys complaining that I spoiled the game for you, 'kay? Roxas is a character from **_KH2_**; who was in the _first_ chapter. This should at least hint that there is a possibility that this fic will have spoilers in it.

**.:C h a p t e r II:.**

"First on our agenda: Find Naminé."

"The witch?" Axel looked over the rack of clothing to see Sora looking at a pair of dark navy-blue shorts.

Sora didn't look away from the clothing displayed. "Don't call her that. She can just manipulate memories is all."

"A witch in other words." The redhead rolled his eyes, leaning down to check the price tag on a black ribbed turtleneck. "And you're wrong. She can only manipulate the memories of people _you've_ had contact with, kid."

Sora scowled, though it came out as more of a pout, "I'm not a kid anymore." He whined. "I'm probably older than you…"

'Overall, that was really childish.' Axel thought, sniggering, tapping his fingers over the hangers of each article of clothing hanging on the rack as he moved down. He eyed the price tag on a top. "_Whatever_. Anyway, we don't know if Naminé can still manipulate memories or not. We may just find her and she'll file a restraining order."

"Still; it's worth a shot. I mean; how else are we gonna stay here? If Naminé doesn't change a few things, people are gonna be suspicious about why two people --who they have no record of, what-so-ever-- show up out of nowhere."

The kid sounded mature…

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Quit sounding mature. You're supposed to be the '_arrogant fool__with the Keyblade'_." Axel drew himself up to full height and furrowed his brow together, slowing his words till they almost sounded like they were slurred together.

Sora turned around. He eyed the redhead, a lopsided grin creeping onto his face. He had to admit; it was a pretty good impression of Xemnas… "Is that what I was to the Organization?"

"Well… to Xemnas, anyway." Axel snickered. He crossed his arms and grinned crookedly at Sora. The Keyblade Master rolled his eyes and continued to look around.

'How Axel-ish…'

The pyromaniac gestured with his hands, moving them around in the air as if trying to convey his memory into a palpable form. "Vexen saw you as another test subject to study... Xigbar thought you were the funniest thing other than Demyx to pick on… Saïx thought you were adorable…"

Sora did a take, nearly tripping over his own feet trying to turn around. "W-wha? Wait a sec. _Saïx_ thought I was _cute_?"

"Hey… did you know that if you move the letters around in Xemnas's name it spells out mansex?"

**0-0-0-0-0**

…tic…

THUNK 

…tic…

THUNK 

…tic…

Head resting on the countertop, Roxas glared at the clock on the wall as it happily ticked away above the vending machine. The urge to chuck something at said happy clock was becoming much harder to resist as it gave another '…tic…' like it had been doing for the _whole_ day.

Moving his glare from the clock --really, it was quite unfair to take it out on an inanimate object-- he turned to glare down the aisle to his left and at the door that was Cid's office.

After the silver-haired asshole had gone in to reason with Cid, Riku had come running back out, barely dodging the stapler thrown at his head. Cid had been hot on his heels, though. Grabbing the nearest thing (which so happened to be a _Vault_ energy drink) and chucked it at Riku. It had missed and the top had broken off, spilling the sticky green drink all across the floor. Following this was a long string of curse words --some of which, Roxas had never head of--, and something about shoving something unpleasant up Riku's ass.

It was an odd relationship between the two; one of those: "I scratch your back, you attack mine with garden rake" kind of relationship. Roxas didn't need (nor want) to know how Riku got along with the rest of his family.

This had continued for roughly ten minutes before Cid had finally resigned to let Riku park in the back. Really, Roxas didn't see why Cid was so protective of the back of the shop…

The whole aisle was a wreck. Bottles, bags, and containers had been littered about the floor, contents spilled and scattered up and down the aisle.

Roxas frowned, remembering how, after the animal crackers and soaked up the liquids on the floor, they had _stuck_ to the tile like glue. He had had to get down on his knees and scrub the sticky mess by hand… The ones he had been able to peel off… well, let's just say the _Vault_, by then, had reduced itself to some sort of 'goo'.

Overall, he was tired as fuck and waiting for Yuffie to show up so he could go home and likely pass out somewhere.

…tic…

"RRAGH!"

**0-0-0-0-0**

I hissed when I reached down to touch a nicely forming bruise on my hip, courtesy of Cid and a nicely aimed box of cashews. For a guy who's nearly forty, the old man had quite an arm on him…

"Come on, Riku!" Selphie let out a long sigh, her small shoulders slumping.

Of course, the battle in the store had done nothing to deter Selphie and her mission in the mall…

Selphie swung her skinny arms back and forth, occasionally stopping to press out a wrinkle in her yellow blouse or adjust the bow tied loosely.

I stood from my spot on the bench, sighing as I trudged over to Selphie, carting a few shopping bags on each arm. I now despised _Abercrombie & Finch_. For one, we were in the shop for three hours. Two, almost every girl working in the shop had come over to ask if _I_ needed anything; one girl had actually come over to ask if I needed help three different times... and she didn't even work there.

"Let's go there next!" Selphie pointed to another shop.

I paled.

"I will _not_ go with you into _Build a Bear Workshop_. There is _no way_ you are getting me to go in there."

"Pleeeease, Ri-ku!" Selphie pleaded, grabbing my arm. She held on tightly, small hands slowly clenching around the skin and pinching it. "You promised."

Translation:_ "And I promise that, if you don't go in with me, I will tell Seph who ripped his favorite leather jacket."_

"Can't I just sit on a bench and wait?" _"I would rather gag myself naked from that sign than go in there."_

"But I want your opinion." _"…On how I should tell Seph about it."_

There was a moment where we just locked eyes: mine, smoldering into hers, telling her that I would not move. Her eyes, however, reflected differently. It included me, gagging on my own blood from the kitchen knife-like cut across my neck, Seph standing over me, while Selphie was behind him, laughing.

"Fine." _"Where's God? I want a refund on my life, _now_!"_

"Booyaka!" _"I win."_

**0-0-0-0-0**

Roxas winced as the front door of the shop burst open, the handle slamming into the wall behind it. He was pretty sure he was going to be fixing that later…

"The Great Ninja Yuffie, reporting for duty!"

At least he could go home now…

The teen behind the counter sighed and inclined his head to look at raven-haired girl standing in the doorway. "Please tell me you haven't been shoplifting 'free' samples from the drugstore again?"

Yuffie ignored him and dropped her green duffle bag on top of the counter. She ruffled through it. "So, where's pops?"

"In the back… probably still sulking." Roxas watched her pull out various items; including a wallet, a large wash-worn T-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops.

Yuffie didn't look up as she pulled out a few other things. "Did Riku park in the back again --Where is it?" The girl pulled out more things, and began unzipping the pockets on the sides of the bag.

Roxas merely watched, just wanting to go home already.

"Whatever it is, Yuff, you can show me tomorrow. I'm heading home."

Yuffie stopped her search, looking up and placing her hands on her hips. "Nonono! You _have_ to see this picture I took of this _totally_ hot guy at the mall! "

Roxas got up, walking over to the hangers in the back and untying his red apron as he went. "Show me later. I'm going home." He removed his carrier bag off the post and slipping the apron on in its place.

"Oh! Here it is!"

He returned to the front to see Yuffie slide her cell phone out from her back pocket and begin to punch the buttons, no doubt looking for the picture she had taken. The girl took so many pictures –of mainly hot men- and she always _always_ showed them to Roxas.

"Squall… Squall… Squall… Squall…" Roxas winced. Leon would kill her if he ever found out how many different photos she had of him. He'd probably smash the phone, too. Just for good measure. "Squall… Squall… Riku… Squall…"

Roxas shook his head and cast a glance toward the backdoor, wondering if he could make it by without the odd girl noticing him.

Inching toward the stack of _Lays Sour Cream and Onion _potatoe chips, Roxas slid around, risking a peak back to see Yuffie still scrolling.

Moving back around and quickly walking to the door, Roxas quietly turned the handle. He pushed it carrier bag past when the door was open with just enough room for him to squeeze through, and then followed suit.

"Squally… Squally… Squally… Hey!" Yuffie turned around, smiling brightly. "Here he is!"

And was met with no Roxas.

"Roxas? Heeey!"

Giving an indignant huff, Yuffie slapped her cell phone down on the till and moved toward the microwave. She grabbed the dispensable cloth resting the counter and began to clean up the stains of chili and nacho cheese. Yuffie opened the door to the microwave --muttering something about Roxas and gouging out his eyes with a plastic spoon-- and she paused.

"Why's the clock in the microwave?"

**0-0-0-0-0**

Pale fingers held the red pastel between the thumb and ring fingers. The hand moved in a brisk, short, motion, lifting off the paper and returning to the starting point quickly. The proficient motion depicted hair on paper.

Setting down the coloring instrument, the hand ran up and brushed a lock of blonde hair behind the owner's ear.

Naminé smiled.

"Done."

"Let me see!" Kairi pushed herself up from the where she sat, walking over to stand behind Naminé. Her cerulean blue scanned the page as she stood behind Naminé. "You're getting better at drawing hair you know!"

"You think so?" She asked softly, running her fingers across the spirals at the top of the sketchbook.

Kairi smiled, "Of course, silly." She looked back at the picture. It was depicted as a portrait; Kairi sitting on the lip of a large potted plant, smiling in her blue jeans and brown silk strap dress over a pink quarter-length sleeved shirt. The light from the large ceiling windows of the mall directed a sunny light down on her hair and the leaves of the plant, giving her an almost delicate, warm, glow.

Really, Naminé was amazing at drawing; the girl was just sometimes too reserved about her talent.

"Mm…" Naminé hummed, staring at the picture.

"But… What's that right there?" Kairi leaned over from behind the blonde, pointing at the people in the crowd behind her.

"Oh… I saw this guy… with red hair pass by… and a guy who kinda looked like Roxas… I just thought it would add some color to the back."

"Roxas?" Kairi looked down at her friend, blue eyes questioning. "Who's Roxas?"

But Naminé only smiled, shaking her head and pulling Kairi toward the movie theater.

She didn't need to worry Kairi. Naminé thought, listening half-heartedly to Kairi while the redhead pointed at the nearby poster of a new movie. She didn't want Kairi to worry.

Because she didn't need to know that Naminé would be the one to make her forget the name…

**0-0-0-0-0**

"I feel like a fuckin' stalker." Axel grumbled, looking at the display case of clothes with no real interest. The reflection was wavy and smeared, but he could just make out the blots that were the two girls sitting adjacent to children's center.

"Then quit looking at them every ten seconds. Then maybe you wouldn't seem so suspicious." Sora laughed. It _really_ was Kairi… and Naminé. Now that he thought about it, Sora really had missed them both.

Axel was about to snap at the Keyblade master, ready to tell him that, with his hair and tattoos, he looked suspicious no matter what, but he noticed the other's unfocused gaze, and sighed, putting a gloved hand on Sora's shoulder. When Sora looked up to Axel in question, the redhead smirked. "What now capt'n?"

Seeing the two girls head toward the movie theater, Sora didn't miss Naminé stuffing her sketchpad into her backpack hurriedly, almost shoving her pastels into its case and into the side pocket.

"We say hi."

**0-0-0-0-0 **

The bright yellow colors and childish art scared me. And I mean scared as in disturbed.

I looked away as Selphie stood in front of a long line of kids, clutching that silly red heart to her chest and dancing around like she had been instructed to.

It was childish, and almost embarrassing just to watch.

The man at the stuffing machine seemed to be thinking something along the same lines. "Zexion" (as his nametag read) held the hose in one hand and watched with an almost mortified expression as he told Selphie the instructions. When Selphie was done parading around, she handed him the cream-colored bunny she had chosen and he --rather violently-- stuffed it onto the hose and began to fill it up with stuffing.

"Here you are," he deadpanned, holding out the bunny by the ear, like it carried some infectious disease. "Now, go choose some clothing for your rabbit. You can then go over to the naming center and give your rabbit a unique name and receive a certificate that he's yours."

"She!" Selphie announced, stomping her foot.

"Whatever…" Zexion's visible blue eyes glared, daring her to say something else. Really, I never thought I'd see the day where an emo was working at _Build-a-Bear._

I spent the next half hour 'giving advice' on what her rabbit would wear and, after we had finally left --Selphie swinging the cardboard box with Lady Flufflesty in it-- Zexion was now working by the door, handing out stickers and looking just as miserable as earlier.

Selphie waved goodbye to him, taking Lady Flufflesty out of her box and making the stuffed animal wave bye, as well.

While Selphie was busy putting the rabbit back in its box, I was the only one who saw Zexion flip the insult (not the offer) and a few mothers shield their children's eyes.

**.: E n d C h a p t e r:.**

**Author Ramblings:**

It's true… screwing with the letters enough, you can get 'Mansex' out of Xemnas…

Sora: That's twisted.

Sorry if this chapter was a bit rushed. A storm blew in and I rushed to finish it since I was afraid I would lose my inspiration... and possibly my computer… I've been kicking at the idea of Zexion working at "Build a Bear" for quite some time. Haha… little emo Zexy working at such a bright place… X3 Made me giggle…

**Music:** _The Living End_: _"The End Of the World"_


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Special thanks to **Kayu Silver **for pointing out my spelling error (which has been fixed) and for the funny link. Gomen.

Kudos to Sekkai.Ry, for the great review!

**.:C h a p t e r III:.**

"_Relax… I'll come back…"_

"_You can't leave… not when you finally came back…"_

"…_I'm sorry… he's gone."_

"…_why?"_

"…_injury…won't make it through the night…"_

"…Sora_…"_

Pain.

Starting from the base of my spine and blasting to the front of my skull, it felt like someone had just ripped a line of duck tape along my spine. It spread from there, an unbearable sting spreading from my neck, my fingers and toes going numb with a pins-and-needles feeling. I gave out a yelp and sat up abruptly, causing a wave of nausea to roll from my stomach. I would have run to the bathroom connected to my room—

…If it weren't for the fact that I was nearly mummified in my own comforter and sheets.

I twisted, trashing and trying to free myself from the cocoon of blankets that had wrapped around me. I thrashed and kicked, desperately wanting to make it to the bathroom. The idea of blowing chucks on my sheets was not the least bit appealing.

Apparently, whatever deity above decided to wake up grouchy and my comforter held onto me tightly, refusing to let me go.

"Dammit!" I rolled around when I felt my stomach give a lunch, telling me it was ready to heave its contents out very soon. I quickly wound myself back around and bit my pillow, gnashing my teeth into the fabric as I felt my nose sting and the vomit rise into my throat. It hovered there and I my eyes watered, the rancid smell cutting through the back of my throat. Finally, I relaxed my jaw as both smell and taste ebbed away, though my throat still burned.

What the _hell_ had just happened?

My stomach was still rocking around, my throat felt like it had been burned, and my head felt like a rhino had River danced on top of it.

"Shit…" I gave a hoarse cough, wincing at the sharp pain in my throat as I unwound myself from my sheets. Rolling over to sit on the edge of my bed, I scrubbed my face with my hands, rubbing the balls of my wrist into my eyes. "Shit, shit, shit…"

It was just a dream. A dream… What it had been about, I couldn't, for the life of me, remember.

Only one thing stood out, the odd thing is, _only _one thing stood out.

"_Where's _Sora_?"_

**0-0-0-0-0**

"'M cold and tired…" A low rumble. "… and hungry…" Axel grumped, shooting a poisonous glare from his spot on the cold, metal, ferry bench. The metal was bitter from the morning temperature and his ass was numb, the cold having wormed its way through the fabric of his coat. The rocking of the boat wasn't helping his mood any, either.

Sora shrugged, opting to pull his hoodie tighter as he leaned over the railing, watching the waves lick at the side of the convey. "I know," his stomach gave a loud groan, and Sora didn't need to turn around to know that Axel was sporting a very large, and very smug, grin. "Naminé works at the eatery inside..." Sora sniffed, his nose numb. He shivered as a cool morning wind whipped about and stung his cheeks, tinting them a healthy rosy hue. Even on a tropical island, the summer mornings were quite astringent until the sun broke through.

Axel's glare became smoldering, his eyes narrowing into a sharp poisonous green. "Then tell me why we're up here in the _fucking_ cold." The redhead hissed.

"Her break doesn't start until the afternoon and we can't let her see us till then."

"Why?" A strong gust of wind blustering past caused Axel to pull himself in tighter, hunching his shoulders when it licked the back of his neck. His glare, however, didn't dissipate.

"She'll probably freak and run."

Axel rolled his emerald green eyes, "On a boat? Out in the middle of the ocean?" The pyro's sarcasm was painfully obvious. "Ain't that a bit drastic? I know she's not gonna be happy with us, but you're not that annoying." He added, his glare lessening a fraction, obviously satisfied with the bout of sarcasm.

"Yeah, but if she slips through a corridor of darkness and ends up on another world, then we're screwed."

"Wha d'ya mean kid?" Axel uncurled a bit, leaning forward to get a better look at Sora's face. "It's not like you can't go back to the King's world a wait out for the kid again." Another strong gust of air passed, and Axel watched as the Keyblade master ignored it, turning to look at Axel with an almost sorrowful expression.

"No, Axel. I promised myself this is the last time."

**0-0-0-0-0**

After a long _hot_ shower, I finally trudged downstairs; clad in nothing but my favorite boxers (the black pair with the little red hearts on them) and a white tee that had been hanging off my dresser, the black font on the front reading:" I'm not anti-social, I just don't like you".

From the sounds of it –or lack-there-of— I was guessing that Selphie was still asleep. It was Sunday, and Sunday meant no Saturday morning cartoons, which also meant no Selphie until early noon.

I stood in the hallway for a minute, halfway between the den and the stairs, staring blankly at my bare feet. For a minute I could see sand beneath them, a pair of darker ones next to mine, toes buried in the white sand.

"_Riku?"_

I shook my head, snapping my head up to look down the hall. My head was messing with me. It was Sunday… Sundays meant I was working on little to no sleep; that was all; mostly because four out of five voices in my head were telling me to go back to sleep.

…

Where was I going again?

'Kitchen? Yes, Riku... you remember where the kitchen is, right? Where the food lives?'

With a short detour to Seph's bathroom, and a few _Tylenol_ pills later, I sat at the table, eating toast with a fork. I wasn't exactly sure _why_ I was eating toast with a fork. Maybe I was too lazy to pick it up by hand…

Hey, it happens sometimes.

**0-0-0-0-0**

"One coffee and a Gatorade, plea—oh, hey!"

Naminé's blue eyes snapped to attention, meeting confused sky-blue.

"Naminé?" He scratched his head, smoothing down his odd fringe before it fell back into place; looking at the counter awkwardly and laughed. "Sorry..." Zell apologized, "Where's Kairi?"

The blonde smiled, shrugging her small shoulders. "She said she wasn't feeling very well and didn't come in today. I told her to stay home and rest." She explained, wringing the washrag in her hands. She'd been cleaning the phony, plastic marble counters for a while, so she was thankful that Zell had shown up. She may have started talking to the dishrag. Mornings were just like that…

"That sucks…" Zell's figure dropped, expression falling as well. It was something that Naminé liked about Zell; the blonde was so expressive, his body relaying his emotions. The term: "Wearing your mind on your sleeve" came to mind. It was probably his expressive behavior that made him such a people person.

"So…" Zell bounced back, leaning against the counter, resting his head in his hands, as he stared at Naminé. "How's it going?" His voice lowered an octave; just enough to hint at what he was really asking her.

Naminé let out a long sigh, looking from Zell, and then down at the empty cup in her hand. "I'm… worried." She confessed, looking at the cup instead of Zell. 'Worried? More like you having a near heart attack every time someone with red or brown hair came to order something.' Mentally, she could see herself smacking a hand to her forehead. But she would stick with worried. Worried sounded saner.

"I'm afraid she may be falling for a guy she used to like a long time ago." 'A guy she had waited for on an island for a year to come back. A guy you made her forget about when he left again.'

"Well… sounds to me like you're jealous." Zell shook his head. It wasn't a disappointed kind of gesture, just one that hinted that he felt he knew better.

"Maybe…" She whispered, flipping the switch and watching the coffee dribble into the cup. "Probably…" She turned away, crouching under the counter to grab the sports drink from the mini refrigerator. "You're total's three thirty-eight."

"Okay, well, I guess I'll be seein' you later?" Zell asked, grabbing the drinks into one hand and slipping his wallet into his pocket again after paying the correct amount.

She stuck out her tongue when he turned to leave, "Gee… thanks for your help."

"Always glad to be of service, babe." He called over his shoulder, turning to flash her a wide grin.

"Bye, Zell." Naminé waved, even if Zell couldn't see it, and watched him go. She liked Zell. He always had a smile on and was always ready to lend a hand. Perhaps that was why she liked him, because no one had ever offered before… Something she didn't want to go back to.

"Weird dude…"

"I dunno, I kinda like his hair…"

"You would, squirt."

Naminé froze, causing her to turn around slowly, praying she was just hearing things. Oh dear… it couldn't be…

"Heyya, Naminé."

**0-0-0-0-0**

"I see you're awake…"

Presenting his royal highness…

Dishes clattered, giving off a grating metal and glass sound echoing in the kitchen as my brother dropped his coffee mug into the sink. "You've been eating toast with a fork again, haven't you." It wasn't a question. It was a very flat statement.

I ignored him, eyes glued to the TV screen as _Jackass_ faded to a commercial. What I had for breakfast and how I ate it was my problem, not his. I'd find a way to eat soup with a butter knife if I wanted.

Selphie somehow manages.

"What're you doing up so early?" I craned my neck back, looking though the window of the kitchen, where Seph stood behind the sink, the water running while he rinsed and put away the dishes in the dishwasher. Pft… Neat freak…

Sephiroth didn't look up, continuing his work. "I have to meet someone in a few hours."

Ah, that would explain why he was up so late. He never slept in, weekend or no.

"Then…" I turned around, leaning over the back off the black leather sofa to look at him better. "…some client booked you after hours…" Seph had a strict policy about his job: he didn't work on Sundays. "…and you took the job because they're loaded?" …unless quite of bit of cash was involved, that is.

I'd never admit it to Seph, but I liked his job policy.

"Actually, no." He reached up, turning the water off, "I'm going to be meeting a friend I haven't seen in quite some time."

"Who?"

If anything, I knew from living with him that Seph was a master schooling his emotions. He was one of the few people that could look into the abyss and have it laugh at him, because, if any metaphorical abyss tried to laugh at him, shortly afterward, he'd shoot it. It was this I-Don't-Give-a-Rat's-Ass-About-What-You-Have-To-Say-So-Get-On-Your-Knees-Bitch attitude that made him an unyielding businessman and probably why that old man Ansem had made him vice-president of the power company.

Still, being a businessman and his younger brother were two entirely different things. Which was probably why I saw the barely noticeable, but very tense, twitch his left shoulder gave. Sephiroth only did that when he was hiding something.

He opened his mouth, raising his chin into the air; something he did only to show he didn't have to answer my question and that I should butt the fuck out, but he didn't even get a word in as Selphie interrupted.

Or… her music did, anyway.

"_Day-o, day-ay-ay-o Daylight come and he wan' go home"_

"_Day, he say day, he say day, he say day, he say day, he say day-ay-ay-o Daylight come and he wan' go home"_

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying very hard not to laugh as Seph looked about ready to throw some form cutlery at me. The soup ladle looked pretty threatening with Sephiroth holding it like he was about to gut me if I so much as breathed.

"_Six foot, seven foot, eight foot, BUNCH!"_

Something shot into the kitchen, clad in a pair of green shorts and a white tank. Oh, and a pair of wool socks, which would explain why Selphie was sliding across the well-waxed wooden floor. "Good morning!" She called cheerfully. Somehow, she stopped herself from running into the refrigerator and reached up, grabbing a box of cereal from the top.

Miraculously, she didn't run into anything as she moved about, grabbing a bowl and spoon and milk. It was probably one of those few times she resembled a somewhat coordinated person as she danced to the steady drum beat with surprisingly fluid movements.

"_Hide thee deadly black tarantula"_

Seph left a kitchen, mumbling under his breath about chucking a radio and a certain CD out the window.

"_Come, Mr. Tally Mon, tally me banana"_

**.:E n d C h a p t e r:.**

**Author Ramblings: **

Oh… foreboding memory/dream-like things, a(nother) cryptic message, and a cliffhanger in one chapter! More mystery even _I_ don't understand 8D There are times when I read over this and feel like I'm making Sora and Axel out as secret agents… Like the FBI or MIB… . KIB? (Keyblade in Black?)

-is bricked-

Shorter than the other chapters, I know, but I had promised I would post it during the weekend and I totally neglected that to see_ "Snakes on a Plane" _and _"Accepted"_ at the cinemas. Writing the scene on the ferry deck was certainly interesting… I used to live in Seattle, Washington and I remember trips on the ferryboat were always quite cold when I was little, no matter how bundled up I was… It took me back writing that.

**Music:**_System of a Down_: _"Lonely Day" _and_ Harry Belafonte "Day-O" (The Banana Boat Song) _


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.**

This chapter was written with almost no sleep, five assignments due the next day, two entries to turn into a club, and a diet Dr. Pepper. Good lord! Why's the fridge full of diet! Whyyyyy? 

**Note**: Currently in search of a beta for this story. Must be able to remind the lazy author to update, must be literate and grammatically correct, and must be able capitalize correctly. Don't be lazy; the shift key isn't _that_ far away!

**.::C h a p t e r IV::.**

"W-w-wha…" Naminé dropped the rag, mouth agape; her blue eyes darted between the two men and the possible escape routes (Something that consisted of sprinting to the nearest exit or hiding under the counter). Somewhere, her flight-or-fight senses screamed for her to find a way to sink the boat and hope they died a horrible death of pressure compression as it sunk to the bottom of the marina.

Then again, water was Demyx's specialty.

And having a Nobody who could compress both time and space probably didn't push things in her favor, either.

'Shit' summed the situation up quite nicely.

Xigbar, oblivious to the blonde's train of thought, ran his fingers through his hair, grabbing his low ponytail and tugging on it, spilling the peppered hair over his shoulder when he pulled his arm back. "Haven't seen you since you found your 'other'." Naminé felt the hostility in the word 'other', but he didn't look like he was about to shoot her. Instead, he folded his arms across his broad chest. She almost wanted to laugh, Two looked different in a worn blue shirt with the words: _"I'm too old for this shit_" printed in white. "Not all it's cracked up to be, huh?"

She pursed her lips, fingers clutching the edge of the counter in a tight, knuckle-white grip.

"Hades doesn't do favors without a price." She reminded stiffly, shifting her weight to her other foot and straightening her back and shoulders to seem at least a bit more intimidating. She didn't _feel_ the least bit intimidating…

Demyx didn't seem to think so either as he leaned forward, poking the spot between her brows with a sidelong grin on his face.

"We didn't deal with _Hades_…" His voice trailed off, hinting they'd found a way to work around the short-tempered god. "But how do you think Axel got out?"

Naminé paled.

She'd know Axel was on the island. She'd thought he'd just been passing through looking for Sora. But, as fate would have it, Sora was here looking for Kairi.

Sora who would take Kairi away, and she would fade into being just another 'other'.

"Squirt," Xigbar gave a side-glance to Naminé and the addressed looked up, a trace of fear lining her eyes. She didn't want to fade. When a Nobody faded, they didn't just die; they ceased to exist. Period.

"Listen, we're not here to cause trouble. We're looking for a place to crash." He explained, crossing his arms, but still gesturing with one as he continued. "We're over the 'becoming whole' gig. What's worth being whole? We saw what happened to Xemnas when he came to the underworld. Problem was: it wasn't _just_ his heart."

"He found his heart, but he's changed. Whenever we saw him, he was always arguing with himself."

Naminé shuddered. She remembered the tests they sometimes performed in Castle Oblivion, placing a Dusk and its Heartless together. The results had been horrific.

The transformation reverted the body back a human body, but the heart and body had refused to be the dormant spirit to the other, making the man fight continuously with himself. Finally, both heart and body had snuffed out one another, leaving nothing but a corpse in the corner of those dreadful white rooms.

For a moment, Naminé felt guilty. At one point, they had all ached to be whole, and, while Naminé hadn't been a part of Organization XIII and had been against the idea of creating her own heart by means of another, she was still a Nobody. Only a fraction of what she should be.

Unlike returning to being Whole on her own, she had yielded to Kairi, becoming the dormant being. After she had separated from Kairi, she no longer relied on instinct like other Nobodies did. There was a piece of Kairi's heart within, beating; and it was enough for Naminé.

She didn't want to lose the feeling of being whole when she was on the Outside with Kairi.

"Well, well, well… Looks like someone decided to have a party without us?"

Did she say shit? She meant double shit.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Scratching the stub of his morning shadow, Cid stared at the ground, concentrating on the scratched metal poking through the asphalt. It wasn't very big. Just something that no one would notice unless they looked for the imperfection in the asphalt like the blond was.

"Shit…" He sniffed, flicking his nose with his thumb. He crouched down to the exposed area and ran thumb along the area no bigger than his palm. "Fucking kid and his shit driving…" He couldn't count how many times Riku had parked in this area, the lenient pavement easily ruined by the tires.

He got up—a sharp twinge in his lower back making him snort at the idea he was getting old—and he turned on heel toward the store. He moved toward the tills as the door closed behind him with the harsh clang of a tin bell. He scanned the store. No one was up any of the aisles, and Yuffie and Roxas wouldn't be in until later. He turned back around, moving toward the doors and grabbing the double-sided sign, flipping it over, letting it tap against the window as the word "CLOSED" hung in bright red letters.

Cid stalked down the aisles, grabbing a bottle of _Lipton_ _Iced Tea_ as he passed by the shelf of drinks, and walked through the door to his office.

The small room was messy (to say the least), with his swivel chair and desk resting against a cream-colored wall and an ugly puke-colored filing cabinet shoved into the east corner. Wrappers, cigarettes, and stray papers were skewed about the cheap blue carpet, a coffee stain near the door smelling like it'd been freshly spilled, almost undetected under the smell of smoke.

Overall, Cid liked his workspace.

Moving over to his desk and setting the tea down, he bent down, opening one of the side drawers and reached into the desk, fingers searching for something. When his fingers ran over a small switch, something that barely poked through the metal, he heard a quiet click and retracted his arm. Behind him, he heard an even louder click and the sliding of metal.

"CID!"

The addressed rolled his eyes; turning around to look at a boy standing in the doorway, opposite of the way he'd come in, hands on slender apron-clad hips.

"What?" He growled, grabbing the bottle of tea off his desk and unscrewing the top. "If it's about the spot in the back, I'm takin' care of it."

The boy opened his mouth, hand raised and one finger stiffly pointed at the man, and then closed it as he pursed his lips, finger curling into his fist and glaring at Cid.

"How're the repairs comin' on the transporter?" Cid asked, taking a swing from the bottle, giving a lip-smacking sigh as he pulled away. Much better…

"Dale's working on it now." The smaller mumbled. In his high-pitched tone, he grumbled something under his breath about leaving Dale with equations and ending up with only half your body where you wanted it to be, but Cid ignored him as he pushed past and ascended the spiral staircase. "Also, the Finrir has been having engine trouble and the Tiny Bronco's shield was damaged in the test-drive. Those government satellites orbiting are getting harder to avoid—"

"When's the kid supposed to arrive?" Cid interrupted, smirking when he heard Chip let out a 'hmph' behind him. The brunet hated being interrupted and Cid found the young mechanic to be wound a little to tight.

His brother on the other hand…

The two paused in their descent as a loud _BANG_ from somewhere in the next room was heard, followed by the exclaimed: _"SWEET MOTHER OF CHRISTMAS CHESTNUTS!"_

Rushing down the last steps, they rounded the corner, looking down at the green glitter-like substance that shot out from beneath the cracks in the door.

"Dale?" Chip stepped forward hesitantly, biting his lower lip.

Cid looked down at the mess on the floor, scuffing his shoe across and surprised to find it didn't come off as easily as he thought it would. It was going to be a pain in the ass to clean later…

The door swung open to reveal another brunet, almost identical to Chip, save for the red highlights in his short hair.

Dale still had on his safety goggles and work apron, but he was covered head-to-foot in the same green glitter than was on the floor, walls, and ceiling. His hair looked like it had been gelled back—the blast the mostly likely reason why—sticking almost straight back and his whole body shimmered in the dim lighting.

That probably wasn't going to come out easily, either.

The youth reached up, removing his spectacles and pushing them up into his hair, blinking as his world focused back in and adjusted to the light. Cid nearly choked on his tea when he saw the large round glitter-free circles left around Dale's eyes.

"WOWY _ZOWY_!" He exclaimed, rushing forward to grab his brother in a hug. "Ya shoulda seen it, Chipper!" He giggled, bouncing with his brother in his arms. Chip didn't seem to share his brother's excitement, his expression crossed between being glad his brother was still breathing and scolding the younger. "It's fixed, but the built up magic caused an explosion; but oh boy, ya shoulda seen it!"

Cid shook his head, producing both a cigarette and his lighter from his back pocket. "Good job kid." The blond praised, patting Dale's speckled hair as he brushed past the twins, lighting the joint as he stepped into the room. "Just hope it doesn't do that when the kid arrives…" He mumbled, stopping to survey the damage of the room with a raised blond eyebrow.

The teleported hummed happily in the corner; the rest of the room lay coated in a thin sheen of green glitter, shinning as it caught the lighting of the room. I looked like no spot had been spared.

Vaguely, the blond mechanic was amazed Dale hadn't swallowed any of it in that big mouth of his.

**0-0-0-0-0**

"_PERFECT!" _

I reached up, feet still moving, wiping away the sweat gathering at my forehead.

"_You're a star!"_

Over the sounds of cheers and bad techno, I could hear Selphie behind me, seated on the couch, chanting: "Messpmesspmessp!" which translated as "mess up" as she bounced up and down. I smirked, resisting the strong urge to turn around and laugh at her when I passed the two hundred-combo count. She squealed, throwing a pillow at my back, but I didn't stop as it gave a soft '_fwump'_ and fell to the floor.

The song ended and the screen faded, returning to show the score. I grinned, reaching down to scoop up the pillow and throw it back at Selphie when she when she attempted a dive for the PS2. Her object was most likely to turn it off before the score could be saved.

"You're so mean, Riku!" She pouted.

I ignored her, moving back into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, "Says the one who was blackmailing me yesterday."

"Not like you had anything planned yesterday." Selphie called from the living room, concentrating on setting up another round of DDR. She'd forced me to watch her play after commandeering the TV. After watching her fail and telling her that even I could beat it, she'd told me to "put my foot where my beat was"; soon after learning _her_ foot apparently belonged in her mouth.

"Besides, you would have slept in all day if I hadn't gotten you up!" She continued, her head turned in my direction, but her eyes trained on the screen while she stomped on the arrows in time with the beat.

I spread my arms, bottled water in one hand, and cap in the other. "Welcome to the world of apathy, I'd say congrats but I just don't care enough."

She giggled, but lost her rhythm.

"Riiiikuuuu!"

**0-0-0-0-0**

If saving the world (twice) with the help of a talking duck and a dog hadn't been weird enough, Sora found himself oddly comfortable (as comfortable as this uncomfortable silence would let him anyway), seated between Axel and Xigbar, sipping at his hot chocolate while Naminé looked about ready jump out of her skin—or close to murdering Axel.

"My food's _cold_…" The redhead whined, poking at the small container with his plastic spork, rolling a tomatoes around with a pout on his thin lips. Naminé had been generous enough to provide Axel with something to eat after his continuous moaning about Sora denying him breakfast so they could catch the ferry, but Sora suspected she regretted doing so.

"It's a _salad_." Naminé almost hissed. The brunet had never really seen the blonde so hostile, but, people changed with a hundred-something years between… "It's _supposed_ to be _cold_…"

Demyx, sitting on the other side of Xigbar, began to play with the liquid in his cup, twisting a stream of coffee around in the air with his fingers, looking anywhere but where Axel was. Sporadically, he would glance to Xigbar, and when he did, Xigbar would look down at him, a small smile turning the corners of the gunman's lips.

Sora watched, amazed at how smoothly it moved across the table in large sweeping motions. He had never gotten the chance to watch Demyx use his powers. Well, he'd never gotten the chance to watch Demyx use his powers for something other than fighting… You tend to be a bit distracted trying to save the world.

"Why are you here?" Naminé asked; sitting down in a chair she pulled from a nearby table. It was still early and the ferry hadn't docked yet to pick up the waiting businessmen and women waiting for a trip to the main industrial island, so most of the ferry was empty, save for the early birds.

She cast a quick look over her shoulder, watching the door of the small reserved party room they had occupied. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you'll cause if someone finds out that you're not from this world?" The blonde sighed, glaring at each of them for a moment before she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Listen, we just need some fake Ids and a roof over our head." Axel rested his head on his hand, looking both bored an amused at the situation. Sora had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with Demyx, seeing as the water-user refused to look to pyromancer in the eye. Axel just had a habit to rub people the wrong way.

"We can take care of the rest." Sora tore his eyes away from Demyx's water figure (it had taken on the appearance of four-inch-tall Axel, walking across the table and wagging his finger dramatically as he walked around the table, mouth yapping) and looked to Naminé. "Listen, Naminé, we've been searching for years and I believe that—"

"I can't help you." Naminé snapped, her glare intensifying. She crossed her arms. "For all you know, they might not even be here. Now if you'll excuse me…" Scooting back her chair, she stood quickly, ignoring her chair as it clattered to the thinly carpeted floor.

"Naminé! Wait!" Sora quickly stood, knocking over his own chair and dashed after Naminé's hurried figure. "Naminé!"

Sora stopped, a strange sense of déjà vu halting his movements.

'Riku? Waitblonde…nosilverdon'tgowait… don'tleavemenowatchoutriku…' 

Sora, overcome by the flitting images in his mind, vaguely heard voices calling out, the pounding of rushed footsteps, before his skull connected with the hardwood floor and the world went black.

'Riku…' 

**.:: E n d C h a p t e r::.**

**Author Ramblings: **

Sorry, another slow moving chapter… I enjoyed writing in Chip and Dale. The duo is fun to write and I enjoyed writing Dale's dialogue. But don't get onto me about the _slight_ bashing of DDR. I own one and I love it to pieces. x3

Sorry this took so long… I'm part of the AkuRoku club on DeviantArt and I've been working on the October contest entry and a 100 Prompt entry… Must finish…

**Music:** _The Dresden Dolls_: "Gravity_" and Suicide Machines _"High Anxiety"


End file.
